Do you have cold hands or could you be suffering from a problematic condition that affects around one in six Brits?
Now, a simple 1-minute quiz can tell you if you have Raynaud’s disease, the weather-related condition characterized by color change in your fingertips.
Raynaud’s disease is a disorder that affects blood circulation and causes temporary narrowing of the arteries in reaction to certain triggers, including cold weather.
This restriction of blood flow causes the extremities to become painful, cold, and even change color.
It is most famous for triggering on the fingers, but can also be seen on the toes, ears, nose, nipples, or tongue.
Raynaud’s usually occurs in response to colder temperatures or stress.
Experts are still not sure what causes it to occur in most cases.
However, people are advised to watch for symptoms, as Raynaud’s disease can, very rarely, be the first sign of a serious, little-known autoimmune disease called scleroderma.
While health care experts have identified risk factors and medical or lifestyle problems related to the syndrome, until now no known genetic cause has been discovered.
Now a new proofCreated by the charity Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK, it aims to help more people know if they have signs of the condition by asking five simple questions.
These include whether respondents’ fingers are sensitive to cold and whether they change color in response to temperature or stress.
The tool also asks if people feel numbness or pain in the area that changes color and if they feel itching or throbbing when the area warms.
Finally, people are asked if they have ever developed sores or ulcers on their fingers or toes.
Participants will then learn their results and receive some advice about what they should do if they may have Raynaud’s disease.
Those who may have the condition will also be invited to participate in an anonymous medical survey to help learn more about Raynaud’s disease.
Physician and GP Dr Punam Krishan TV supports the campaign and urged people to take part.
“I’ve already taken the test and I encourage as many people as possible to do the same,” he said.
“This campaign is particularly close to my heart because I know how challenging this condition can be.”
Karen Raney-Marr, 36, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, is one of an estimated 10 million Britons estimated to be living with Raynaud’s.
Raynaud’s disease causes miniature spasms in the blood vessels, cutting off the blood supply to the fingers and toes.
He said he had been suffering symptoms for years before receiving an official diagnosis.
‘For many years I suffered from cold fingers and toes, which also became numb or painful and sometimes changed colour.
‘He had difficulty carrying out normal daily activities. Finally my GP diagnosed me with Raynaud’s and I now take medication to control my symptoms.’
However, he still said he usually suffers an attack of Raynaud’s symptoms, called a “fit,” about once a day.
‘The attack can cause chilblains, cracked hands and swelling. “I wear gloves most of the year and put on layers when I go into air-conditioned spaces like supermarkets,” she said.
Ms Raney-Marr encouraged as many people as possible to take the online test and said if such a resource was available in her teenage years, she could have received support sooner.
Raynaud’s disease, in most cases, does not cause major problems and can be combated by sufferers by ensuring that they wrap their extremities to protect them from sudden changes in temperature.
People with more severe versions are occasionally prescribed a type of medication called vasodilators that help improve blood flow.
However, Raynaud’s disease can be a sign of serious and potentially life-limiting diseases, such as scleroderma, an autoimmune disease.
Scleroderma is a rare condition in which body tissue hardens and thickens.
Usually only the skin is affected, but this process can spread to the joints and even internal organs such as the heart and lungs, which can be life-threatening.
Only around 20,000 Britons are thought to have scleroderma, but it is very common for those who do also have Raynaud’s disease.
About one in 10 people with Raynaud’s develop an autoimmune disease such as arthritis, lupus or even scleroderma, so it is important to have symptoms monitored by a GP if they start to worsen.
Those who develop Raynaud’s disease suddenly after age 30 or before age 12 are also encouraged to see their primary care doctor.